Top Eight

Your Tuesday night briefing from the staff of Courthouse News

Top eight CNS stories for today including fears over the Covid-19 pandemic didn’t stop Texas voters from flocking to the polls for competitive runoff elections; Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden promised to pass a sweeping infrastructure bill; Spain was rocked by allegations that the government may have hacked a smartphone used by the pro-independence president of the Catalan parliament, and more.

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National

1.) Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden continued to make overtures to American workers Tuesday, promising to pass a large infrastructure bill that not only refurbishes the nation’s ailing infrastructure but also makes investments in clean energy technologies.

Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, speaks Tuesday, June 30, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

2.) A federal judge ordered pretrial detention Tuesday for Ghislaine Maxwell, who was indicted last week for helping the late Jeffrey Epstein build a sex-trafficking empire.

FILE - In this Sept. 2, 2000 file photo, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, driven by Britain's Prince Andrew leaves the wedding of a former girlfriend of the prince, Aurelia Cecil, at the Parish Church of St Michael in Compton Chamberlayne near Salisbury, England. The FBI said Thursday July 2, 2020, Ghislaine Maxwell, who was accused by many women of helping procure underage sex partners for Jeffrey Epstein, has been arrested in New Hampshire. (Chris Ison/PA via AP, File)

3.) Calling it possible that the clearing of protesters outside the White House last month was illegal, the ACLU urged Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday to appoint a special prosecutor.

FILE - In this June 1, 2020 file photo, President Donald Trump departs the White House to visit outside St. John's Church, in Washington. Part of the church was set on fire during protests on Sunday night. Walking behind Trump from left are, Attorney General William Barr, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Milley says his presence “created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.” He called it “a mistake” that he has learned from. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Regional

4.) Fears over the Covid-19 pandemic didn’t stop Texas voters from flocking to the polls Tuesday to pick nominees in competitive runoff elections after record early voting turnout, including the race to decide which Democrat will challenge Republican Senator John Cornyn in November.

5.) The fight to revive a lawsuit over how California portrays Hinduism in public school lessons largely hinges on whether state educational standards are policies — which can be reviewed by courts — or curriculum, which cannot be.

International

6.) Spain was rocked Tuesday by allegations that the government may have hacked a smartphone used by the pro-independence president of the Catalan parliament and spied on him and others during a tense period in the run-up to a politically explosive trial against Catalan leaders.

FILE - In this Monday, Jan. 13 2020 file photo, Roger Torrent, President of Catalonian Parliament, answers reporters at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France. The speaker of the Catalan regional parliament is demanding that the Spanish government launch an official investigation into reports that his cellphone was the target of espionage, allegedly by Spanish security services. Roger Torrent, a leading Catalan independence supporter, said Tuesday, July 14 in a televised statement, “It’s important for the truth to come out.” (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, file)

7.) An accused Islamic militant refused to enter a plea on the 13 counts of crimes against humanity he faces before the International Criminal Court as his trial officially began Tuesday.

FILE- In this Nov. 7, 2019 file photo, the International Criminal Court, or ICC, is seen in The Hague, Netherlands. President Donald Trump has lobbed a broadside attack against the International Criminal Court. He's authorizing economic sanctions and travel restrictions against court workers directly involved in investigating American troops and intelligence officials for possible war crimes in Afghanistan without U.S. consent. The executive order Trump signed on Thursday marks his administration’s latest attack against international organizations, treaties and agreements that do not hew to its policies. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

8.) An airspace blockade dispute among several Persian Gulf nations should be resolved by an international aviation agency, the United Nations’ high court held Tuesday in a win for Qatar.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands. (Peter Dejong/AP)

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